The Drunkard’s Process

Thoughts derived from my reading of the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Introduction

The perennial dilemma we all face is the battle of two internal forces constantly lobbying
for our support: The Spiritual Man vs. The Natural Man. Robert Louis Stevenson
masterfully illustrates this internal struggle through the story of a certain Dr. Jekyll who
had a past spotted with rebellious tendencies. Although, at the time the story had taken
place, he had put this past behind him and had gained the respect of his peers, friends,
and community. He was viewed as a good person and citizen who contributed to society.
We all know people who fit this mold, people who displayed base tendencies in their
youth but ultimately chose and succeeded in a more virtuous life. In fact, I would go as
far as to say, many of us know this person to be ourselves. This realization engendered
within me a resonating interest and association with the character and struggles of Dr.
Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Drunken

Throughout my reading of the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde the scriptural
depiction of being drunken with something other than alcohol consistently populated my
thoughts. In Isaiah 29:9 it states that “they are adrunken, but not with wine; they stagger,
but not with strong drink”. In 2 Nephi 27:1 when referring to the iniquity that will occur
in the last days Nephi describes the people to be “drunken with iniquity and all manner of
abominations”. To be drunken is to lose one’s agency through the intake of something
more powerful than ourselves. I will use this analogy to sequentially analyze Dr. Jekyll’s
gradual and, somewhat, subtle path towards his own dire destruction. This analysis is
meant to highlight the process we all pass through when succumbing to our pet tequilas
and the subsequent results of this surrender.

Experimentation

Dr. Jekyll was a scientist. His vocational training encouraged experimentations of all
types to gain insight and truth. Conflicted by the inner struggle with his lower self Dr.
Jekyll created a drug that succeeded in temporarily separating his good nature from his
bad. The newly created concoction mentally and physically gave release to his
suppressed inner demon. The physicality of Jekyl’s natural man matched the grossness of
its desires, intentions, and actions. This transformed being took upon himself the name
of Mr. Hyde. He slouched. His facial features emitted evilness although not one
villainous feature stood out among the others. One had the most challenging of tasks to
describe why Hyde’s physical appearance engendered feelings of fear and discomfort.

Dr. Jekyll’s experiment, to many, would be considered a success. In his fictional world
he discovered an amazing scientific breakthrough. Giving release to his natural man was
gratifying and seemingly harmless. His original intention was to see if such an endeavor
could be accomplished. The seductive results of his brilliance opened the door to a
secondary world that eventually led to his demise. The breakthrough experiment of the
unknown led to an addictive decaying cycle. This new release and separation from his
original life was causing a severe and deep form of intoxication. Each episode found Dr.
Jekyll surrendering more and more to the will of Mr. Hyde. Hyde was pure evil. He had
no conscience. His purpose was to fill the most carnal of pleasures. Although Dr. Jekyll
held the key to Hyde’s cage he had little to no control over what would follow upon his
release.

Experimentation can be an exciting venture for both good and bad. It can release
profound commitment to God or profound obligation to the adversary. Perhaps the
greatest of decisions lies in the type of experiments we choose to pursue. The history of
mankind is littered with great and evil men who have changed the course of humanity
through adherence to their findings. Unfortunately, we all succumb at one time or
another to lowly experiments which yield tasty fruits meant solely for gratification and
not edification. When this occurs Hyde’s appetite increases and gains power making it
more difficult to resist the same and like experiments in the future. It is at this point that
we slowly deviate from our virtuous path to pursue other interests. Each step off this
path leaves us more susceptible to our own debilitating intoxication. An alcoholic’s first
glass is difficult to resist. Subsequent offerings become even more difficult to withstand.
The individual’s will becomes more and more debilitated by the relieving gratifications of
his addiction.

The first decision to expose ourselves to Hyde’s desire is the most important. Each
subsequent decision is exponentially more difficult to resist thus making the weight of the
initial decision much greater than all others that follow. In summary, if we never
experiment with dangerous addictions or exercise initial restraint in overcoming such
addictions we will liberate ourselves of the dire consequences that always result from
such ominous behavior.

The Cover

The onerous task of concealing his addiction caused Jekyll to create a totally new identity
for his mutable friend. Jekyll appropriately named his narcotic invoked alternative Mr.
Hyde (as Hyde’s role was to hide the true owner of his misdeeds which was Jekyll).
Jekyll went to extreme measures to maintain the secrecy of his dual life. He purchased
new clothes for the more short and stout Hyde. A new apartment was furnished to support
his nightly excursions. The precarious relationship between the two prodded a written
will that would bequeath all of Jekyll’s belongings to Hyde if he were to disappear and be
claimed dead. Jekyll went to extreme measures to enable and support his inimical
addiction.

We frequently make preparations to preserve our name and character. Although our
cover may not be as extreme as Hyde’s, we do much in our power to convey the person
others either think we are or who we think they want us to be. This cover routinely
occurs on the individual, family, and community levels. Not only do we want to maintain
a positive image but we also may not be willing to make the sacrifice required to become
whom others want us to be. So, we make a myriad of changes in our lives all in a
desperate hope that we won’t be found out. This effort yields protection for a period of
time but eventually, as in the case of Dr. Jekyll, is broken and reveals our shameful
reality.

The Result

After continuing in his semi-controlled addiction for a period of time the unknown side-
effects of the drug started to surface. Unsolicited reactions from past drug use
involuntarily transformed Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde making the once tamed addiction now
ominous. Like a forest fire, the once manageable camp flame had stepped beyond the
bounds the controller had set and slowly but powerfully evolved into a precarious
destroyer. In order to return to his natural self Dr. Jekyll required additional doses of the
substance that was the author of his plight. He became so involved and intimate with his
secondary self that the secondary eventually hijacked the primary. His soul no longer
belonged to Dr. Jekyll but, instead, answered to the inimical whims of Mr. Hyde. A
critical ingredient to Jekyll’s concoction was no longer sold nor found in its pure form
making Jekyll’s ability to return to his former self impossible. Upon this haunting
realization Jekyll took his own life and explicitly explained his demise in a letter to his
good friend and lawyer Mr. Utterson.

At what point will our formidable addictions or untamed weaknesses overtake who we
once were. We do not know, making our procrastination to correct and absolve such
tendencies of up most importance. When will the exponentially more difficult decisions
completely override reason and cause unwanted reflexive actions? The unknown tipping
point into spiritual paralysis ought to force immediate contemplation of the seriousness of
our addictions.

Conclusion

We all have weaknesses and tendencies that we continually suppress to fulfill what we
believe to be the greater good. This perpetual war is essential for personal growth. The
virtuous governing of our base selves is vital to our personal and familial happiness. The
Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is one man’s depiction of what happens when
this internal struggle becomes obsolete and separated. The two worlds of good and evil
were unleashed and unsuppressed, having full ownership in their moment of dominion.
The absence of this coexisting struggle led to death and defeat on both sides of the war:
Jekyl lost his soul and Hyde lost his physical vessel to satisfy addiction.

Robert Loius Stevenson highlights the process and tragic results of surrendering to the
natural man. We cannot surrender but need to continue the struggle. We must stand at
the last day and be able to repeat Paul’s words of “I have fought a good fight, I have
finished my course, I have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). This is our purpose. This is
our goal. We must learn from the innumerable Jekyll and Hyde stories that surround us
and leave so many homes broken, dreams shattered, and souls lost. Each one of us has a
mission and purpose to fulfill. The surest way to delay and/or shatter the fulfilling of it is
through the drunkard’s process of curious experimentation, diligent concealment, and the
tragic results that follow.